Economy revives county's restaurant scene

During the height of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, many residents of one of Michigan’s hardest-hit counties turned back to basics.

Trips to the grocery store and hours in front of the stove, for those affected by the recession, replaced evenings out at some at quaint bistros and quick jaunts to the local greasy spoon.

But after several lean years, there’s evidence that Macomb County’s restaurant environment is undergoing a revival. In the past 18 months, a multitude of new eateries have opened, bringing with them new dining options, increased economic activity, and jobs. And the new offerings represent a more diversified restaurant base — everything from hearty bar food to authentic and exotic ethnic eats are tempting residents hungry for something new.

The new openings are attributable in part to improving economic conditions that, though far from robust, have created an atmosphere that has encouraged operators to open up shop.

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“I think restaurants, and other service-oriented businesses, have had a rough five or six years,” said Adrienne DeCeuninck, the vice president of marketing at the Michigan Restaurant Association. “But we’re starting to see a turn-around.”

According to Grace Shore, the CEO of the Macomb County Chamber of Commerce, the county’s restaurant environment is ripe for growth.

“People are starting to go out to eat again. We’ve seen some stabilization in the jobs environment, particularly in the automotive industry, in the county. Business owners are more optimistic than they have been in a while.”

When Steve Davidson opened up Wingstop, a restaurant known for its tangy chicken wings, in a small strip mall on Dequindre Road in Warren, he knew success in the restaurant business was hard to come by.

“I had been working for other people for 30 years, and opening up my own restaurant was something I had been threatening to do for a while,” he said.

When Davidson began exploring his options, he discovered something he didn’t expect: Rents are much more reasonable than they were five or six years ago. Brought on by a glut of vacant restaurant space, lower rents allow restaurateurs like Davidson to implement a more favorable cost structure.

The space Davidson rented had been vacant since 2008, despite the fact that it’s part of a stable business base of retailers, medical facilities, and service-oriented outlets.

Veteran restaurant owner Dino Tata, who has owned restaurants for 25 years, has seen a lot of changes in the industry during that time. Still, he thought the time was right to open up Campus Deli at 19 Mile and Garfield Road in Clinton Township with his business partner, Lou Farneti, in April.

“A lot of what makes a restaurant successful is finding out what an area needs,” he said. “What we’re trying to do here is fill a need. “This used to be a Dunkin’ Donuts, but we thought it would be a great place to open a deli — that’s going to help us even in these economic conditions.”

One factor that has helped Macomb restaurant owners is that it’s one of the few counties in Michigan that’s population is on the rise — a necessary ingredient in making a restaurant successful, Shore said.

“Service businesses need to have a stable base of customers to be successful,” she said. “Business always follows population growth.”

In Macomb County, the population has increased from 840,987 in 2010 to 847,383 from 2010 to 2012, according to US Census Bureau estimates.

Since the economy faltered in 2008, the county has lost a number of eateries thought to be immune to pervasive conditions.

Dimitri’s Rendezvous had been a fixture on Gratiot Avenue for more than two decades before it closed in 2011. Cheli’s Chili Bar, which opened to much fanfare in 2008, closed earlier this year, citing a drop in business.

Those closures were enough to give Wingstop’s Davidson pause, but he was confident enough in his ability to succeed in Warren that he has hired 10 employees.

“I’m confident that people are responding to the Wingstop brand,” he said. “And I’m sure I chose the right space .”

Tata, who is accustomed to the challenges of running a new restaurant, said he believes there are significant opportunities for eatery owners in Macomb County.

“I think a lot of people would be surprised at how much in the way of business is here in this area,” he said. “I know I was surprised, and I’m familiar with the area. There’s hardly a day that goes by that we don’t deliver to one of the hospitals. It’s great that the business community is supporting us.”

Eatery explosion

Since the start of 2012, at least 30 new restaurants have opened their doors in Macomb County to respond to a growing population and an improving economic climate. Here’s a rundown of some of those eateries.